Schizophrenia is a mental disorder characterized by disintegration of thought processes and of emotional responsiveness. It most commonly manifests as auditory hallucinations, paranoid or bizarre delusions, or disorganized speech and thinking, and it is accompanied by significant social or occupational dysfunction. The onset of symptoms typically occurs in young adulthood, with a global lifetime prevalence of about 0.3-0.7%. Diagnosis is typically based on observed behaviour and the patients reported experiences.
Current treatments include antipsychotic medication, which primarily suppresses dopamine, and sometimes serotonin, receptor activity. Psychotherapy and vocational and social rehabilitation may also be important in treatment.
Apheresis is a treatment used for depletion of blood components, such as antibodies, low-density lipoproteins (LDL) and blood cells. Leukapheresis is the apheresis treatment used for removal of white blood cells, leukocytes. The patient is connected to an extracorporeal blood circulating system; the blood is drawn from a vein in one arm, passed through a column device and returned into the other arm of the patient. WO2010/029317 describes apheresis columns useful for treating inflammatory conditions including a chemokine immobilised on a solid support.